Joplin School Board approves some payment to fix tornado destruction

JOPLIN — The Joplin School Board has begun paying the massive bills caused by destruction from the May 22 tornado.

The school board on Tuesday approved payment of nearly $30 million for the month of July and about half of August. The district's typical monthly bill is between $6 million to $7 million.

The Joplin Globe reports that the district is using insurance and Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements to help pay the bills.

The district's chief financial officer, Paul Barr, said the damage from the tornado reduced the district's assessed valuation by about $24 million. He said that could cause challenges for the district in the future, though the board voted Tuesday to maintain the current levy for this school year.